Chapter 108: The Emperor and Youth Lock Eyes, Destiny Intensified!
Chapter 108: The Emperor and Youth Lock Eyes, Destiny Intensified!
"Dear audience, welcome to the finals of the Supernova Competition!"
"Only five minutes left until the competition starts, and the contestants are taking the stage!"
The massive open-air stadium was packed to capacity.
The live audience exceeded 100,000+, while online viewers surpassed 10 million!
The match hadn't even started, yet the comment section was already exploding.
The host, holding the microphone, raised his voice.
"First to take the stage is the Vermilion Bird Academy delegation!"
Amidst the cheers, two men and one woman stepped onto the arena.
These three were the elite freshmen of Vermilion Bird Academy: Xie Weian, Xie Lian, and Dongfang Qing.
Someone in the audience raised a question.
"That's odd, I remember in the first round, Vermilion Bird Academy sent Liu Lin'er to compete."
"Yeah, why is Xie Lian replacing her?"
"Isn't Xie Lian Xie Weian's sister? Sibling duo, interesting."
Since the audience raised a question, the host explained.
"Ladies and gentlemen, here's a news update."
"Due to Liu Lin'er suddenly developing a high fever last night, she had to go to the hospital for IV treatment."
"To ensure the competition proceeds smoothly, Vermilion Bird Academy has sent Xie Lian to replace Liu Lin'er."
The host's explanation was quite convincing, as it's common in past Supernova Competitions for players to be replaced due to health issues.
However, this seemingly ordinary change concealed a hint of conspiracy!
Xie Lian replaced Liu Lin'er not because of her hospitalization due to fever, but due to a past grievance with Qinglong Academy’s Murong Xinxin.
The Xie siblings were of distinguished status, their father being Xie Zhong, the top strategist in Long Country, naturally drawing media attention.
All the spotlight was on Xie Weian and Xie Lian, making Dongfang Qing seem like an afterthought.
In the close-up shot, Xie Weian stood tall and composed, his handsome demeanor striking a chord with many women in the audience.
The audience cheered wildly, with female fans clamoring about wanting to bear Xie Weian's children.
Xie Lian, being Xie Weian's sister, was blessed with perfect family genes, her exquisite features paired with a sweet-girl style outfit, captivating most men's hearts with her every move.
"Hehe, Xie Lian is so beautiful, love her!"
"I declare, this is a world ruled by sweet girls!"
"If I could marry such a sweet girl, I'd gladly endure the 'punishment' of driving a Ferrari and living in a villa!"
"Wow, you call that punishment? You're definitely not missing out!"
Male fans waved glow sticks, cheering for Xie Lian.
Little did they know, beneath her sweet exterior, Xie Lian's heart was darker than the abyss filled with demonic plants!
"Next to take the stage is the Azure Dragon Academy delegation!"
Cheers echoed throughout the stadium once more.
Xiao Xingyu stood in the center, a gentle smile gracing his handsome face.
His appearance triggered a frenzy among female fans.
"Before there was a sage, then came the heavens, Xingyu surpasses the living gods!"
"His waist isn't just a waist, it's a deadly curve!"
"Xingyu, Xingyu, we love and support you!"
After the first round, Xiao Xingyu's popularity soared.
Especially with the Hellfire Lotus blooming on stage, captivating the audience's attention.
Coupled with his good looks, he stirred all the girls’ hearts, making it impossible not to express their affection for him.
The Murong siblings walked on either side of Xiao Xingyu.
These white-haired siblings were the children of Murong Jin, a Grand Admiral, and were also the center of attention.
When the host introduced the Murong siblings' family background, Xiao Xingyu lowered his head, rubbing his nose to hide his embarrassment.
"I wonder what Six Gold and Yangshuo bro would say if they found out I had a fight with old man Murong during my disappearance."
Although the jailbreak at the naval headquarters was days ago, the memories were vivid for Xiao Xingyu.
On Icefire Island, as the black-robed figure, he vividly recalled the duel with Murong Jin and Bai Yu at the peak.
After introducing the six contestants from Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird Academies, the camera shifted to the judges' panel.
The host's tone was filled with reverence and admiration.
"The judge for this competition is our esteemed Empress of Long Country!"
In Long Country, no one dared to call Shangguan Lan by her name; she was always respectfully addressed as "Empress."
As the camera zoomed in on Shangguan Lan, the entire audience stood, bowing toward the judges' panel in a show of loyalty and patriotism.
The citizens of Long Country had never seen Shangguan Lan's true face.
In the eyes of the world, Shangguan Lan was a benevolent ruler, the guardian deity of Long Country, and the symbol of hope for humanity in a post-apocalyptic world.
There was not an iota of public resentment; everyone felt honored to have such an empress.
On camera, Shangguan Lan was as beautiful as ever.
Her beauty was unlike any other woman in the world, a kind that made you overlook the details of her features.
Even if you saw her face many times, you couldn't help but praise her in your heart.
On the arena, Xiao Xingyu also looked up, just like the ten thousand spectators around him, at Shangguan Lan in the judges' panel.
In Xiao Xingyu's eyes, there was no reverence, only fear and anger.
"Even though I experienced it near Icefire Island, it still feels so unreal."
Shangguan Lan’s head bore dragon horns, her body covered in dragon scales, and behind her, a black dragon soul loomed, capable of overturning the heavens and seas with a mere glance...
These images were etched in Xiao Xingyu's memory forever.
If it weren't for the Dragon's Tear being used at a critical moment, Xiao Xingyu, along with Delu and Medusa, might have ended up as shark fodder at the ocean's bottom.
The next second, Xiao Xingyu shuddered involuntarily, his pupils shrinking rapidly.
"When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you!"
This was Xiao Xingyu's realization at that moment.
Shangguan Lan's previously unfocused eyes suddenly fixated on Xiao Xingyu.
She sat high in the judges' seat, looking down at him.
He stood on the competition stage, gazing up at her.
The stadium was filled with deafening cheers, a sea of humanity.
Yet, despite the lively atmosphere, a silence seemed to envelop them!
For Xiao Xingyu, at this moment, the surrounding noise and chaos faded away.
Their gaze locked, the sense of destiny intensified!
On the surface, the gap between them in terms of identity, status, power, and strategy was insurmountable.
However, this young man from Azure Dragon Academy, once donned in a black robe with a ghost mask, transformed into someone capable of escaping Shangguan Lan's grasp!
"This boy... if I remember correctly, his name is Xiao Xingyu."
A nearby attendant nodded in agreement.
"Empress, you remember correctly. During the first round, you even instructed me to deliver him an invitation to the Imperial Soul Training Camp."
Shangguan Lan's mind replayed scenes of "artificial rain" and the "Hellfire Lotus."
"These are the finals. If he faces off against the strategist Xie's son, it will certainly be an interesting story."
"Isn't that right, Strategist Xie?"
To Shangguan Lan's left sat a handsome middle-aged man with gray-white pupils, a trait shared by the Xie siblings.
Heterochromatic eyes!
A distinctive genetic trait of the Xie family.
These eye colors were not constant, changing with the weather's mood.
Coincidentally, dark clouds covered the sun, and the sky darkened.
The man's eye color shifted from gray-white to deep blue.
"Indeed, Empress, Xiao Xingyu is exceptionally talented. If he faces my son, Weian, it promises to be a spectacular match."
Xie Zhong, the top strategist in Long Country, was a ten-star beast tamer.